Shrimp Potato Salad

This easy breezy recipe for shrimp potato salad has a little zing from the mustard dressing and a drizzle of honey! The perfect light supper.

Why we love this recipe

Ah, this shrimp potato recipe! I do love a potato salad, and because I love it I am always looking for the answer to the question, how do you make potato salad taste better?, and in this particular case the answer? Shrimp.

In this case I paired some cooked shrimp with some tender baby potatoes, a double mustard dressing, and just a teeny drizzle of honey.

Yep, this seafood supper features not one but two mustards – good old Dijon, and grainy mustard.

And not only does this recipe give you everything you need for a light recipe in one delicious bowl, but it’s ready in just about a half hour. How scrumptious is that?

What is grainy mustard?

Mustard comes from, you guessed it, mustard seeds, and smooth mustard is made of pulverized seeds mixed with vinegar and water, and sometimes wine (hello, Dijon mustard!).

Grainy mustard has all those things, but it crushes or bruises the seeds so you can actually see them, and it adds a lovely texture. And interestingly, it is milder than regular mustard.

How not to overcook shrimp

Overcooking shrimp is easy to do, because it’s amazing how fast they cook. And since overcooked shrimp can taste, well, rubbery, we want to get them out of the hot water As Quickly As Possible.

The trick is to watch them like a hawk from the minute you put them in the water, and since they only need two or three minutes you won’t be watching for long.

As soon as they turn opaque -a nice solid shade of pink – pour them directly into a strainer and run cold water over them until they are cooled down so they stop cooking.

They should be in a gentle “C” shape – a tight “C” shape means a shrimp that has been in the hot water a little too long.

Ingredients you need

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Potatoes: Baby potatoes are sometimes called creamers, and they come in all kinds of colors and sizes, from the standard yellow baby potato to red and even purple potatoes, and sometimes in teeny sizes. Any and all of these will work for this recipe – if you get the teensy ones, cook them for a little less time.
• Shrimp: Any size shrimp will work for this recipe. If you get the bigger variety, you can either cut them into bite-sized pieces after they are cooked, or serve them up as is with a knife and fork.
• Mustards: You can find both grainy mustard and Dijon mustard in the condiments aisle of your supermarket. (And when you are done with this recipe, use those mustards in this super simple recipe for lime roasted salmon with mustard sauce!)
• Scallions: You can swap out these green onions for chives if you like!
• Honey: Honey gives this potato salad an amazing sweet and savory vibe, but it’s totally optional.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.

How to make this recipe

Step 1: Scrub up a bunch of baby potatoes, pop them in a pot of water and bring them to a simmer.  Let them bubble away until they are just tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Scoop them out with a spider or a slotted spoon, leaving the hot water in the pot. Pop them into a strainer and run cool water over them, and let them cool off while we make the shrimpies.

Step 2: Bring the potato water back to a boil. Add a pound of peeled shrimp and cook them until they are just opaque, about 3 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cool water until they are all cool. Room temperature-ish is fine.

Step 3: Make the dressing by combining the juice from one lemon, your best olive oil and a couple of tablespoons each of both Dijon and grainy mustard in a jar and shaking vigorously.

Step 4: At this point the potatoes should be cool enough to handle, so cut them in half and pop them in a mixing bowl with the shrimp and some chopped scallions.  Toss gently.  Drizzle on the dressing until the salad is dressed to your liking.

Step 5: Now here comes a critical decision. You can serve it up as is, or you can drizzle on a little honey before you serve it up. I love love love the sweet and salty vibe of the honey, but you be you.

Recipe FAQs

Equipment we used for this recipe

These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!

• Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
• Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
• Metal Bowls: We love these sturdy metal bowls for both mixing and casual serving.
• Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
• Tongs: We have this essential kitchen tool in all sizes from short to extra long. Perfect for tossing salads!
• Strainer: This classic strainer is just right for these potatoes and your favorite pasta recipe (one of ours is pasta with egg sauce!)
• Spider: We love this large mesh spoon for transferring ingredients from hot water into strainers…and for making buttermilk fried chicken tenders!
• Mason Jars: Oh, the ever helpful mason jar! Just right for shaking up salad dressings, storing ingredients, and eating slow cooker brownie pudding out of!
• Citrus Juicer: We love this handy juicer that catches every single seed.

What to serve with this recipe

Even though this satisfying salad is a meal in one bowl, we love to have some grilled flatbread on the side, and if we feel like some extra veggies, you can’t beat this cherry tomato and green bean salad. Some strawberry lemonade hits the spot, and for dessert, some ridiculously easy peach crumble!

Other supper salads we love!

We want to know what you think! 🤔

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below the recipe.

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Shrimp Potato Salad

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This easy breezy recipe for shrimp potato salad with mustard dressing comes with a little zing and a little sweetness!  The perfect light supper.

• Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Low Calorie

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Juice from one lemon
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 scallions, chopped
• Honey for drizzling (optional but so good!)

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Instructions

1. Place the potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer until tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Scoop the potatoes into a strainer, leaving the water in the pot, and rinse under cool water.
2. Bring the potato water in the pot to a boil.  Add the shrimp and cook until just opaque, about 3 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cool water.
3. Make the dressing by combining lemon juice, olive oil and both mustards in a jar and shaking vigorously.
4. Cut the potatoes in half and add to a mixing bowl with the shrimp and the scallions. Toss gently.  Drizzle on the dressing until the salad is dressed to your liking.
5. Divide among plates, drizzle on a little honey and serve!

Notes

• Potatoes: Baby potatoes are sometimes called creamers, and they come in all kinds of colors and sizes, from the standard yellow baby potato to red and even purple potatoes, and sometimes in teeny sizes. Any and all of these will work for this recipe – if you get the teensy ones, cook them for a little less time.
• Shrimp: Any size shrimp will work for this recipe. If you get the bigger variety, you can either cut them into bite-sized pieces after they are cooked, or serve them up as is with a knife and fork.
• Mustards: You can find both grainy mustard and Dijon mustard in the condiments aisle of your supermarket. (And when you are done with this recipe, use those mustards in this super simple recipe for lime roasted salmon with mustard sauce!)
• Scallions: You can swap out these green onions for chives if you like!
• Honey: Honey gives this potato salad an amazing sweet and savory vibe, but it’s totally optional.